Apparatus for carrying mail-matter.



Patented July 22, I902.

6. S. POTHE.

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING MAIL MATTER.

lApplication filed Mar. 17; 1902.

(No Model.)

&

TH; Npnms PEIERS co" wumuumo WASHINGTON. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. POTHE, OF DALLAS CENTER, "IOWA.

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING MAIL-MATTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No; 705,440, dated July 22, .1902.

Application filed March 1'7, 1902. $erial No. 98 ,480. (No model.)

in suburban maildelivery that requires persons living some distance from a main road to provide a box for receiving mail-matter from the carrier.

My invention consists in an endless carrier mounted on sheaves and rollers supported on fixed posts to extend from the main road to the dwelling, a box-carrier fixed to the endless carrier, a mail-box detachably connected with the box-carrier, and means for operating the endless carrier, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, showing the relative positions of the different parts and the endless carrier, from which sections are broken away between fixed posts. Fig. 2 is a view ontheline X X, showing the form of thebox-c'arrier, a box on the carrier, andv a clasp for detachably fastening the box to the box-holder. Fig. 3 is a view on the line y 11 showing a trip device arched over a sheave to facilitate the passage of the box-carrier and mailbox and to protect the sheave. 5

The numeral designates a post fixed near a farm-house, and 12 a fixed post located at the side of a road and mail-delivery route. A plurality of posts 13 are fixed along the line extended between the fixed posts 10 and 12 at suitable distances apart. A sprocket-wheel 14 is mounted in a journal fixed to the post 10, and 15 is the axle of a wheel 16, mounted in bearings at the top of the post, and 17 is a small sprocket fixed on the axle and connected with the wheel 14 by means of a chain 18. A crank-handle 19projects from the wheel 14: for manually operating'the wheel and complete apparatus. A sheave 20 is mounted on the post 12 and pulleys 21 on each one of the line of posts 13, and 22 is a wire cable coiled once around the wheel 16 and extended over the pulleys 21, the sheave 20, rollers 23 on journals fixed to the posts 13, and the ends of the wire cable then fixed to a box-carrier to produce an endless carrier. The box-carrier isa'straig'ht'metal'bar 24, that has a roller a at its top and a right-angled. extension 25 at its lower end that terminates in a shoulder 26. It also has a perforated ear 27 on its under side adapted for fastening the ends of the cable thereto in such a manner that the boxcarrier will move back and forth With the endless carrier. A mail box 28, provided with a hinged cover, is fitted on'the box-carrier, and

"a spring-clasp 29, fixed to the bar 24, engages the top of the'box and fastens it to the carrier and also keeps the hinged cover of the box closed.

A trip device 30, in the form'of an arched cover provided with means for pivotally connecting it with the journals of the pulley 21, is mounted over each pulley 21 at the top of the posts 13 in such a manner that when the pulley a atthe top of the box-carrier bar 21 comes-in'contact with a -trip device it will pass from the endless carrier 22 upon the trip device and cause the device to tilt forward and-carry the pulley cover the pulley 21.

In the practical use of my invention when mail-matter is placed in the box at the house the endless carrier can be readily operated by turning the wheel l kas required to deliver the box and its contents at the other end of the line, so that the mail-route carrier can take out the contents and put in mail-matter that is to be delivered at the house, and by a reverse motion of; the wheel the endless carrier will bring themail-box back to the house, when it can be detached and taken in the house to be emptied.

Having thus described the purpose, construction, and operation of my invention, its

practical utility will be obvious to persons familiar with the art to which it pertains, and

'what l'claim as new,-and desire to. secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for carrying mail-matter, a box holder and'carrier consisting of a "straight bar bent at rightanglesatits-lower end to support a box placed thereon, a boxfastening device fixed to the bar to detachably fix the box in the angle of the bar and a pulley mounted at the top of the bar, and an endless cable or carrier, fixed to the bottom IOO of the box-carrier, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

2. In an apparatus for carrying mail-matter, a. fixed post, a pulley mounted at the side of the top portion of the post, a trip device arched over the pulley and pivoted to the axle of the pulley and a roller mounted in the vertical plane of the pulley on a bearer fixed to a lower portion of the post to project horizontally for supporting an endless carrier in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

3. An apparatus for carrying a box and mail-matter comprising a line of fixed posts, pulleys at their tops, rollers extending horizontally from their central portions, covers and trip devices pivoted over the pulleys, a fixed post at one end of the line, a roller mounted at its top, a fixed sprocket-wheel on the end of the axle of the roller, a larger sprocket-wheel mounted on a lower portion of the post, a chain on said sprocket-wheels, a fixed post at the other end of the line, a sheave mounted at the top of the post, a boxcarrier having a pulley at its top and a boxsupport at its bottom, means for fastening a 'box to the box-carrier, a mail-box, a cable coiled around the roller and extended over the pulleys at the tops of the line of posts, under the pulley at the top of the box-carrier, over the rollers extending horizontally from the posts and fixed to the box-carrier, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

GEORGE S. POTHE. Witnesses:

ROSA POTHE, SAMPSON A. WILSON. 

